


Starlight

by Birdgirl90



Series: Andi Collection [3]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-08 12:14:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8844637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birdgirl90/pseuds/Birdgirl90
Summary: "I wonder if it's possible to have a love affair that lasts forever." ~ Andy Warhol
Prequel to "Postage Stamps"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, lovely readers!  
> I've been wanting to write a backstory for Andi for a while now. This story fills in that long gap that happens in Postage Stamps between Costa Rica and Diamond Dogs.  
> Enjoy! :)  
> ~Birdie

_ Alright, Andi, you got this.  It’s just a little bit of water; you’re not walking to your doom. _

Andi takes a deep breath and steps out the door of her small cabin.  The Costa Rican air assaults her, hot and sticky, serving a constant reminder that she isn’t in Kansas anymore.  She can’t bring herself to wear a swimsuit for this adventure though, self conscious of her body and the way her hips and belly curve.  Instead she’s opted for jeans and a halter as she joins the group on the way to the beach for an evening break.

There are only a handful of them, the kids from the Peace Corps, a couple of boys she knows in passing, her roommate Sarah, and two of the girls from the cabin next door.  They all look so lovely in their bikinis, Sarah with her flaxen hair and the other girls laughing with her while the boys watch with grins.  Andi watches them as they walk, the way they all get along.  It’s a bit of a lonely feeling knowing that she doesn’t quite fit in, and she feels not for the first time an ache in her stomach.

They reach the shore and one of the boys - Eric she thinks is his name - picks up Sarah and threatens to drop her in the water as she squeals; Andi’s suddenly glad for the others not to notice her, her palms sweating at the idea of being tossed in the water.  She lets herself venture down a little ways from the group and slips her sandals off so she can toe the water.  It’s warm as it laps at her foot; she pulls back almost as quickly as she stuck her foot in the water though, as if not trying to push her luck with the ocean gods. 

Andi bites her lip as she glances at the group again and the splashes they’re making.  Definitely not her cup of tea so to speak, she decides, the waves sloshing the beach making her a little queasy, though she has to admit the change in colors across the sky here are lovely.  As she looks out at the vastness of the ocean in the slowly setting sun, she hears it: a quiet guitar being strummed and an almost whispered voice singing along.  She turns, not realizing someone was already on the quiet beach, and pauses in mild surprise.

He sits on his own in the sand near the tree line, strumming a beautiful acoustic guitar, blond and strong with nimble fingers and eyes hidden behind aviator.  He catches her eye and grins, and she feels a small flush cross her cheeks, unable to stop the small returning smile on her face.  Andi shoots a look at the others; they’ve already forgotten her per usual.  She looks back at the man.  He keeps that grin, watching her with blue eyes over the top of his glasses, and something flutters in her chest.  A warning whispers in her mind.

_ Don’t do this, Andi.  Remember what mom always said about talking to strange men.  It only ends in heartache and trouble. _

Her heart in her ears drowns it out and she walks over to him slowly.

“That’s a beautiful guitar,” she says softly, unsure of what else to say, unsure of what drew her in, unsure if she’s made the right decision.

He beams at her.

“Not as beautiful as you.  Have a seat, sweetheart.”

Andi feels her heart hammer in her chest at his word.  She’s just walked into something, she’s sure of it, but as long as the group is still here, nothing bad can happen right?  She decides to take a chance and does her best to gracefully fold her legs beneath her, failing as she drops with an  _ oof _ .  The man next to her gives a small chuckle and she lets out a small single laugh, embarrassed.  She blows out a hard breath, moving a stray strand of hair from her face in the process as she tries to recover.

“Your friends seem pretty preoccupied,” the man purrs once she’s settled, his voice honeyed and smooth.

“They’re not really my friends,” she mumbles, more to herself than anything, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.  “Just people I got stuck living with for the next six months.”

He nods and strums his guitar some more.  

“Peace Corps?”

Andi nods and gives a half smile.  It isn’t hard to tell where her little group comes from, smelling of youthful aspirations and dirty socks, and judging from the way he sits and the dog tags around his neck, she has a pretty good idea of where he comes from as well.  After all, there are only a handful of camps around that aren’t locals.

“Yeah,” she says, deciding to continue on.  “After all the war I saw back home in the states, I wanted to do something to make a difference.  So far, all I’ve done is take notes and get eaten by mosquitos.”

Andi lets out a small laugh and leans back on her hands.  She can’t bring herself to say that this wasn’t what she expected at all when she signed up, that she thought things would be more interesting and that the people she lived with would be more like family instead of this overwhelming sense of isolation she feels daily, that she would miss her family so much and her home and her dog.  She lets out a small sigh, clearing her mind again.  A moment of comfortable quiet passes with only a few sweet notes on the air.

“The name’s Kaz,” the man tells her at last, pausing his guitar.  “It’s short for Kazuhira, which means Peace in Japanese.”

Andi can’t stop herself and gives a snort, because of course a soldier would be named Peace.

“Maybe you should be where I am,” she tells him.  “You’re with the base down the way, right?”

Kaz nods and grins proudly, confirming her suspicions.  A small shiver runs down her spine.

“I happen to be second in command there; Kazuhira Miller, right hand to the Boss.”

“Wow,” Andi breathes, her eyes widening a little in surprise.  “That sounds impressive.”

She’s only had a few encounters with military before.  The soldiers she knew back home were low ranks drafted by number, the only one volunteering being her neighbor, and he came back sooner than later, hands blistered and a mind shattered.  She shoves those thoughts away.

“I’m Adrienne,” she tells him, almost an after thought. “Though it’s usually just Andi.  Andi with an i.”

Kaz laughs, a sound on the air that makes her heart dance as he strums his guitar some more.  This is dangerous and she knows it, yet she can’t bring herself to leave yet, needing to see how this plays out.

“Well Andi with an i, what are your plans for the next few days?”

“Camp out, try not to get eaten alive, keep everyone organize,” Andi tells him with a shrug.  “The usual.”

It’s starting to get dark and Andi watches the stars slowly start to make themselves known.  She feels like she could stay here forever, the sky transfixing her, more clear here than through the bramble of branches outside her cabin window.

“Looks like they’re starting to get ready to go,” Kaz says gently, breaking her momentary peace.

Andi sits up, giving a frown as she looks over at the group.  Of course they would start to go without her.  She’s invisible to them.  Still, as much as she would like to stay on the sand, she knows that once they’re gone she’ll have to find her way back alone in the dark; she should have just brought her own flashlight.  She stands with a sigh and attempts to brush the sand off her jeans.

“In case your plans change, Andi with an i,” Kaz tell her as she begins to go, his voice holding something she can’t place.  “I’m usually here most nights.”

She looks at him and his grin fades into something gentle, something sincere.

“The stars are truly magnificent here.”

Andi offers a smile before she starts to walk off, something loosening in her chest that she didn’t know was knotted.

“See you around, Peace.”

His guitar follows her as she leaves the beach, becoming all she can think about as the group walks back through the foliage.  

That night, she dreams of stars and songs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's the kind of kiss that inspires stars to climb into the sky and light up the world." ~ Tahereh Mafi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there lovely readers!   
> I'm going to continue this fic, slowly but surely because writing it means a lot to me. It's fun and light and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. :)  
> This chapter feels a little cheesy to me, but I think that might be the theme of this fic, and I love that.   
> Enjoy!  
> ~Birdie

He wasn’t sure she would be there.

When Kaz finally broke away from Snake’s debrief, he thought about whether or not he should go back to the shore.  It was getting late and he hadn’t slept in what felt like an eternity, but he also knew that if he didn’t go, he’d just end up doing paperwork in his office.

Besides, it’s a nice night.

He walks through the underbrush, loosening his scarf a bit before lighting up a cigarette.  Nasty habit, he knows, but there’s something comforting about the fire in his teeth and the smoke on his tongue.  It reminds him of home, of calmer times, and the nicotine buzz doesn’t hurt either.  He sticks his lighter back in his pocket as he breaks from the trees onto the beach.

She sits with her knees to her chest, watching the sunset, her dark hair flowing over her shoulders.  For a moment he pauses and just watches her.  She buries her toes in the sand and wiggles them before letting out a sigh.  Kaz clears his throat. 

Andi looks up at him, her face changing from wary to pleased when she sees him.  He makes his way over to her, cigarette in his teeth.

“Beautiful night,” he says conversationally as he pulls it out and flicks it towards the ocean.  “I was hoping you’d be here, Andi with an i.”

Andi flushes as he sits next to her.

“I wasn’t sure you’d show up,” she says quietly.  “I was getting ready to leave.”

Kaz tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.  She smells sweet, like flowers in May that line the roads where he grew up, the cherry blossoms mingling on the road and in the air.  He smiles kindly at her.

“I’m glad you waited.”

Andi looks up at the sky.

“The stars really are beautiful out here, aren’t they?  You weren’t kidding.”

“Yeah, they are.”

Kaz isn’t completely talking about the stars, either.  Andi’s eyes drift across the sky and he realizes his hand is still in her hair.  It’s silky under his fingers as he pulls away, slowly.  He’s not going to do it.  He could, sweet talk her some more, persuade her to come back with him for the night, but he’s not going to.  There’s something sweetly innocent about her, something soft and new that he can’t take, not tonight like he would the others.

Andi sighs, pulling him from his thoughts.

“This is nice,” she confides softly, not looking away from the sky.  “It’s a lot lonelier here than I thought it would be, you know?  This is the first time I’ve really left camp since I’ve been here.  I tend to just stay in and read.”

She’s vulnerable and something warm flares in Kaz’s body.  He suddenly wants to protect this girl, to keep her safe and warm, to make her laugh.  He can’t stop staring at the way her neck tilts and the outline of her nose.  He’d be lying if he wasn’t imagining her underneath him as he made her sigh with pleasure, her body soft and perfect in his hands...He pushes those thoughts aside.

“It is nice, isn’t it,” Kaz muses.

And he means it.  It’s been a while since he’s been able to leave and truly enjoy something simple like the sunset and the stars.  Normally thoughts of work and life - things that need to be done for MSF and for Snake - creep into his mind, disturbing any moment of quiet he has.  This is different somehow and he wants it to last.

“So where are you from, Andi?”

“Ah,” Andi says, turning to him and offering a smile.  “I’m from Kansas back in the states.  My family owns a small farm on the eastern side where they grow soybeans, actually.  They make a pretty good living off it too; there’s a good market for them.  People like to feed them to their livestock, so my parents will probably always be employed.”

“Soybeans, huh?” Kaz asks, interested.  “In Japan we call it edamame and people eat them steamed from the pod.  You ever done that?”

Andi shakes her head.

“I mean, I’ve tried them before, but they don’t really have a lot of flavor in my opinion.  Maybe I’ve eaten them wrong though?”

Kaz laughs.

“It’s about salt,” he tells her.  “You gotta make sure you salt them well, then suck the pod as you pull the beans out.”

Andi gives a half smile.  

“I’ll have to try that when I go back home.”

They sit in the quiet for a moment.  Kaz finds himself humming a little under his breath as he watches the waves lap against the shore.  He fishes in his pocket and pulls out another cigarette.

“So...what brings you here?” Andi asks at last as he lights up.  “You’re from Japan?”

Kaz takes a deep drag and lets it out in a cloud of smoke.  This question again.  He knew it was coming, it always comes up.  Normally he would play it off, but tonight it feels different and he decides to be honest.

“War and money,” he says simply, watching Andi’s face.  “My mom is - well, was - Japanese and my father was an American soldier.  I grew up in Japan but spent some time in America; went to school, that sort of thing.  Went back to Japan and started the military route.  And now I’m here.”

He doesn't mention his mother, how he made it back in time to watch her slowly fade before his eyes.  There may be time for that later.  But not now.  Not here.

Andi tilts her head to fully take him in, curious.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s…”

No one has ever asked him this.  Sure, Snake had asked initially about his fire and passion, but beyond that, nothing until now.  Does he like it?  He’s never really thought about it much before. 

“It’s what I know,” Kaz says at last.  “I like the energy of it, the way it feels to fight for something I believe in.  I like the ins and outs of it, running all aspects of a base operations.  I don’t fight for any particular country and there’s something really freeing about that.  I'm my own man.”

Andi nods in silent understanding.  Kaz can’t stop himself as he touches her hair again, playing a strand of it between his fingers.  She leans into his touch and he cups her face with his hand, his thumb ghosting over her cheek.  She’s soft and warm beneath him, and he leans forward on instinct to kiss her lips, once, gently.  Andi takes in a small surprised inhale of air and he pulls back, his hand dropping from her face.

“Wow,” she whispers, her hands coming up to her face as she flushes hard, eyes wide.  

Kaz chuckles at her reaction for a moment.  It’s the same way shy school girls react to their - a realization hits him hard.  He decides to test the water so to speak, to see if he’s right.

“Sorry bout that,” he says lightly.  “Probably should have left that for your guy back home, huh?”

Andi looks at him and blinks, her eyes still wide.

“There’s no one waiting for me back home,” she whispers.  “There never has been.”

The look in her eyes and sincerity in her words confirm what Kaz wondered.  That was her first kiss.  Oh lord, what has he gotten himself into?  Warning bells in his mind tell him to leave, to walk away before he hurts her or gets wrapped into a situation he can’t untangle from.  But as he looks at her, he realizes he’s already there and he isn’t going to get out of this alive.  He’s going to hell, he decides as he leans forward again to find her lips with his; might as well enjoy it.

Kaz kisses her softly and carefully, cradling her face to his own, aware of her every movement and sigh so as not to rush or push her.  As Andi gains confidence, her lips mirroring his after a few moments, Kaz can feel the fire pitch in his chest.  Oh, how sweet she tastes...He pulls back, breaking the kiss.  Andi’s breathing hard, her hair a little disheveled.  He kisses her nose and stands, offering her a hand to help her up.

“It’s getting late, they’re going to be missing you pretty soon,” he tells her gently though he wants nothing more than to whisk her away to his office.  “Let me walk you back?”

Andi nods and beams at him.

“Alright.”

She leads him through the canopy of leaves until they break through to a series of small cabins.  She turns to him.

“Will I see you again?”

Kaz lifts her hand and kisses her fingertips.

“If you want to,” he says.  “I’m training some guys deep in the jungle tomorrow, but I’ll be going into town the day after if you want to come along, maybe get lunch?”

Andi giggles.

“I would like that,” she tells him.  “Should I meet you somewhere?”

“Nah, I’ll come find you.”

He kisses her carefully one last time.

“Have a good night, Andi with an i.”

As he watches her walk into her small cabin, Kaz realizes how truly fucked he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! See you at the next chapter!  
> ~Birdie


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “New love is grand. Savor all the crazy, muddled might of it.” ~ Eli Easton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovely readers!  
> Here is the next chapter of this story. I'm not entirely sure where it's going, but I'm glad you're reading along through the fluff with me!  
> Enjoy!  
> ~Birdie

Andi giggles as she rides in the open jeep next to Kaz.  They drive over bumpy dirt roads through the Costa Rica landscape and with each dip they hit, Andi grins.  Kaz drives single handed, his free hand around her waist, pulling her close to him.  He smells so good, like clean laundry and tobacco, and Andi loves it.  Even though she barely knows him, she feels safe with him and for once doesn’t worry.

He had kissed her last time.  She still can’t get over it, how it felt to have his lips pressed against hers.  He was warm and strong and she had never had anything like that before; her first kiss, taken by a military man.  She always thought she would kiss a military boy, though the ones back home in Kansas never really appealed to her.  Now she’s kissed a militia commander instead and there’s no going back.  She watches the wind in his blond hair, the serene look on his strong face, and she wonders idly if he’ll kiss her again.  Her heart flutters in anticipation.

At last Kaz parks the jeep in the midst of town.  It’s small but crowded as Andi lets Kaz help her down, his hands lingering at her waist for a moment.  She can’t stop herself as she tilts her head up.  Kaz kisses the tip of her nose before moving away and she’s a little disappointed.  But when she shyly weaves her fingers through his and he lifts her hand to his lips for a moment, kissing her fingertips, the disappointment fades as excitement blooms in her belly and chest.

“Wow,” Andi says, eyeing everything as they walk through.  “I’ve only come here once.  Normally they just have a list and you can write down what you want and pay, and one or two people go pick stuff up.  It’s nice to get away from camp.”

Kaz smiles down at her, the kind of smile that makes her feel like the only girl in the world.  

“I come here somewhat regularly,” he tells her as they make their way down the crowded road.  “Business deals over meals, pick up supplies, that sort of thing.”

“That’s so amazing,” Andi says.  “Do you ever get tired of it?”

Kaz shrugs and gives a small laugh.  Andi thinks she could listen to him laugh and talk for days, his rich baritone like a symphony on her ears.

“It has it’s moments.”

They make their way through a few stalls, with Kaz making conversation with shopkeepers and Andi looking at everything, touching and smelling items.  She finds a few things she needs, but Kaz won’t let her pay for anything.  He laughs quietly when she gets flustered, not used to anyone wanting to pay her way for anything, let alone for things like toothpaste.  At a final stall, he buys her a hair comb with a flower on it from a woman with grey in her hair.  Andi lets the woman put it on her, pulling one side of her dark hair back and securing it in place.  She turns to Kaz.

He’s looking at her as if she’s the most beautiful thing in the world, his eyes burning and face soft.  Andi flushes and he steps forward, touching along the side of her face with the back of his hand.  

“What do you think?” she asks him shyly.

“Gorgeous.”

No one has ever called her that before, looked at her like this.  Her stomach flips and a slow burn creeps into her skin.  She wants him to kiss her, to hold her close and never let her go.  She wants to hear the secrets of this man, and oh she knows he has them, she can see it in his face when he thinks she isn’t looking, and she wants him to hold her own.  Maybe it’s naive of her, maybe she is just a girl, but somewhere inside Andi’s heart she knows she’s falling down a path she may never come back from.  Kaz wraps his arms around her and pulls her to his chest, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“C’mon, let’s get food,” he says, clearing his throat and releasing her.

“Alright,” Andi says, still warm.  “That sounds good.”

Kaz threads his fingers through hers and leads her to a small restaurant where they sit outside on stools at a bar.  Andi lets Kaz feed her fried plantains while evening starts to fall around them.  The fruit is sweet on her tongue, hot from the frier and just the right amount of crisp edges.  He places another piece to her lips and she gladly opens her mouth so he can set it on her tongue, his fingers brushing the edges of her lips, his expression unreadable.  She blushes as he runs a hand through her hair, trailing down to her waist.  

A moment later she finds herself in his lap, his arms around her as she faces him.  Andi looks up and Kaz leans down, kissing her lips at last, the plantains mixing with his smoky breath.  She kisses him back, greedy, hungry, and he obliges her wordless pleas, lapping along her lower lip for a moment before she lets him in.  It’s nothing like she’s ever had before and she finds her hands tangling on the lapels of his jacket as she sighs.  Kaz lets out a small moan as he picks up the pace a little, devouring her, his hand on her waist pulling her ever closer as he knots the other in her dark hair.  He pulls back at last, panting.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathes as he rests his forehead on hers.  “You could do so much better than me, you know that?”

Andi has no idea what he’s talking about, but she can’t find her voice at the moment, instead tilting her head again to kiss him once.

“I wish you would keep kissing me,” she tells him, breathless.  “Please?”

Kaz indulges her, kissing her until her lips bruise and the stars shine brightly among the dark sky.  His hands wander her body, her back and sides and neck, fingers brushing lightly over her chest and belly as he dips down to kiss her neck, his lips warm on her skin while he nibbles at her.  Andi squirms and pulls back.

“Heh,” she says, suddenly nervous.  “I…”

Kaz kisses her forehead, his hands moving to take hers, lifting them to his lips so he can kiss her fingers.

“Sorry, got carried away.”

Andi smiles at him, face flushed.

“It’s okay,” she tells him.  “I like it.”

Kaz kisses her cheek and moves her off his lap.

“Maybe we’ll come back to it then,” he offers as he leads her back to the jeep.  “For another night.”

Andi gives a small yawn, suddenly worn out from the day.  Kaz pulls her close as he drives and she closes her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder.  He’s humming quietly and she drifts, mind quiet for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and see you at the next chapter!  
> ~Birdie

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies!  
> See you at the next chapter!  
> ~Birdie


End file.
